Migrating from Drupal 7 to WordPress: Everything You Need to Know

The end of support for Drupal 7 marks a significant turning point for many website owners. After years of reliable service, this version is no longer updated by the Drupal community, exposing sites to security vulnerabilities, technical incompatibilities, and declining performance.

In this context, WordPress emerges as a popular and relevant solution. Representing over 40% of websites globally (source), it stands out for its user-friendliness, flexibility, and vibrant community. While this article focuses on migration to WordPress, the steps outlined can also be adapted for migrations to other CMS platforms, particularly when it comes to proper planning. Discover how to execute a smooth migration with a clear and efficient methodology.
 

The Challenges of Migrating from Drupal 7

Why Migrate Before Support Ends?

Failing to migrate from Drupal 7 poses significant risks to your website. Without updates, many Drupal modules become obsolete, increasing vulnerabilities and compatibility issues with modern browsers or servers. Moreover, site performance can degrade, directly affecting user experience, SEO rankings, and conversions.

Treat Migration as a Strategic Project

Migrating a Drupal 7 site to another platform—be it Drupal 10, WordPress, or another CMS—is a significant undertaking. Upgrading to Drupal 10 isn’t just a simple update; it often involves redefining the design of certain pages or blocks, requiring substantial development efforts and higher costs. Additionally, hosting and maintenance demands remain considerable. In contrast, platforms like WordPress offer a more affordable alternative while ensuring solid performance and scalability.

 

Drupal 7 vs. WordPress: A Comparison

Migrating from Drupal 7 to WordPress provides several advantages, particularly financial ones, but also in terms of ease of use, flexibility, and community support. Here’s a comparison of the two platforms:

Ease of Use

WordPress is renowned for its intuitive interface, making content management accessible even to non-technical users. In contrast, while powerful, Drupal often requires advanced skills for site administration and modifications.

Flexibility and Customization

WordPress relies on a robust ecosystem of plugins, enabling quick and effective customization. While Drupal offers strong modules, their implementation and maintenance often require more time and expertise.

Community and Support

With an active global community, WordPress boasts abundant resources, help forums, and frequent updates. Drupal, although reliable, has a smaller community, which can slow down problem resolution.

 

Market Share

WordPress dominates the web, powering 40% of all websites. When considering CMS-powered sites exclusively, its market share exceeds 60%, highlighting its popularity and reliability. By comparison, Drupal accounts for less than 1% of global websites.

Costs

WordPress is generally more cost-effective in terms of hosting, development, and maintenance due to its simplicity and easily accessible plugin ecosystem.

 

Key Steps to Migrate from Drupal 7 to WordPress

Initial Assessment

Before starting a migration project, it’s crucial to perform a comprehensive audit of your current site. Analyze user data, traffic, SEO rankings, database structure, and resource needs, such as hosting and maintenance. A solid understanding of these factors lays the groundwork for a successful migration.

 

1. Conduct a Full Audit of Your Drupal 7 Site

Evaluate the structure, design, SEO performance, and traffic to identify critical elements for the migration.

2. Assess Future Resource Needs

Determine infrastructure requirements, such as hosting compatibility with your new CMS, and plan for corrective and ongoing maintenance.

 

Preparing for Migration to WordPress

1. Identify and Prepare Content for Migration

Inventory existing content to determine what should be transferred as-is, updated, or removed. This step is also an opportunity to reorganize or rethink your content.

2. Choose WordPress Plugins to Replace Drupal Modules

Identify WordPress plugins that replicate the functionality of your Drupal modules to ensure a seamless transition without losing essential services.

 

Design and Customization

If your project includes a redesign, start by defining a new site structure, creating wireframes, and developing mockups to effectively organize your new site. For projects requiring less customization, you can select an existing WordPress theme that meets your needs. However, be aware that prebuilt themes can limit flexibility and long-term scalability, potentially hindering future site adaptations. Additionally, such themes may not perform as well technically, which could impact user experience and site performance.

 

Technical Migration

1. Develop the Necessary Blocks

Create blocks tailored to the specific needs of your new site, based on the designs and mockups.

2. Export Content from Drupal

Prepare all content for transfer, including data, media, and taxonomy.

3. Import Content into WordPress

Use manual methods or tools like the FG Drupal to WordPress plugin for efficient content migration.

4. Add Specific Features

Implement required functionalities using appropriate WordPress plugins, such as CRM integrations or other external tools.

5. Verify and Adjust Permalinks

Ensure SEO integrity by mapping and adjusting permalinks to avoid broken links and maintain search engine rankings.

 

Testing and Deployment

Before launching your new site, conduct comprehensive testing to verify functionality, performance, and content accuracy. Plan the transition during low-traffic periods to minimize service interruptions. It’s also vital to have a backup team ready to address any unforeseen issues or bugs that may arise during deployment.

 

The Benefits of Migrating to WordPress

Migrating to WordPress isn’t just a technical decision or a security necessity—it’s also a strategic opportunity. This move enables you to optimize site performance, enhance flexibility, and simplify site management. Here’s why WordPress is an excellent choice for your migration:

• Ease of Administration: Its intuitive interface allows anyone to manage the site without technical expertise.
• Scalability: Easily add new features using a wide range of plugins without starting from scratch.
• SEO Optimization: Tools like Yoast SEO and Rank Math make improving search engine rankings simple.
• Community and Resources: WordPress offers an extensive ecosystem of support, resources, and regular updates.

 

Plan Your Migration Today

Migrating from Drupal 7 to WordPress is more than just a technical necessity; it’s a chance to strategically position your site for long-term success. With careful planning and the right tools, this transition can be seamless and effective.

Ready to make the move? Contact us for a stress-free migration and unlock the benefits of a modern, high-performing platform tailored to your needs.